Every time I saw this tea in my stash I would think of Gilmore Girls. I don’t know why because Gilmore Girls takes place in Stars Hollow and this is Beards Hollow. So out of curiosity I looked up Beards Hollow and it seems to be a national park which fits much better with the flavors of this tea than the little town of Stars Hollow does.
Comprised of organic lapsang souchong tea, organic blackberry leaf, wild forged hemlock needles, organic juniper berries and organic pure extract the tea has a very earthy quality. It is a touch sweet from the berries and a lot smokey from the lapsang. Like memories of a campfire in the woods. Plus, the hemlock needles give it a really woodsiness to help sell that concept.
This is not the type of tea I usually reach for since I more go for fruity or sweet or dessert-like teas. This is not that and though it is nice to change it up every now and then, I don’t think I personally will reach for this. With that said, for those that enjoy the more herbaceous/woody teas, this has a great balance of flavors and could be a good choice.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Beach House Teas
Description
This tea appears to no longer be available from Beach House Teas but click below for other black tea blends that are!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
White Cap Chai from Beach House Teas
White teas have not always been my favorite kind of tea, but they have grown on me with every new flavor I try. Since I already like chai teas, I was predisposed to enjoy White Cap Chai from Beach House teas.
This is a wonderful take on the lighter side of chai. The white tea is earthy and smooth, and gently floral. It makes for a vegetal chai without being grassy like green tea. I was thrilled to find a new low caffeine option for chai that isn’t based in rooibos teas.
I adore the mix of spices in this tea, especially the addition of fennel. Fennel occupies that space between sweet spice and savory herb, and brings a new layer to the expected spices like cinnamon or ginger. Added peppercorns also play into the more savory earthiness of the flavors.
Despite some big chai spice players like cloves, anise, and cardamom, the spices themselves are gentle enough to still allow you to taste the white tea and more understated peony flavors. This kind of balance with a spicy tea really shows that the blenders at Beach House Teas know their stuff.
I will have to stock up on White Cap Chai to help balance out all the other black tea or rooibos chais I’ve got in my cupboard. White Cap Chai is versatile and unexpected, perfect for the changing of seasons or for my ever-changing palette for tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Beach House Tea Co.
Description:
White Cap Chai is a lighter version of the traditional chai making it delicate and unique. This beautiful chai is made with 100% organic white peony tea leaves and organic spices. It’s a modern twist on a sweet and spicy classic. The chai gives you a smooth, mellow taste with subtle layers of flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Hood River Rooibos from Beach House Teas. . . . .
Hood River Rooibos from Beach House Teas is a delicious decaf herbal blend with rooibos, ginger, and honeycrisp apples. I love the fall, and sometimes I love extra honey sweet apple teas with lots of cinnamon and flavoring, but Hood River Rooibos has me re-thinking what I want in my herbal apple teas this season.
This tea is simple and delightful. The woodsy rooibos is flavorful without caffeine or bitterness. A touch of ginger root adds just enough sweet spice to make you think you’re drinking something special and seasonal.
The honeycrisp apples are really the ingredient that shines. The naturally sweet fruit flavor of the apples doesn’t need any sugar or honey to taste indulgent and refreshing. Because there aren’t any powerful spices like cinnamon or cloves, you get to taste all the apples for themselves. Even a chai-lover like me doesn’t miss the cinnamon in this blend.
This tea makes me nostalgic for the fresh fall apples in the orchard of my hometown. This is the perfect blend to warm you up when your picking apples off the tree, or when you’re just daydreaming about fall and all its wonderful flavors.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Beach House Teas
Description:
Hood River Rooibos is 100% organic rooibos tea blended with ginger root and Pacific Northwest Honeycrisp Apples. This combination of sweet apple mixed with the heat of ginger and the earthy flavor of rooibos is perfect for the winter season.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lemon Peel Infused Artisan Sugar from Beach House Teas . . .
Adding sugar to tea is something I do from time to time. For the most part, I thoroughly enjoy enjoy my tea without sweeteners but every once in a while to shake things up I do like to add in honey or agave. The other day I was enjoying a lovely white tea that just didn’t have the pizzazz I was looking for. Then I remembered I had received some amazing sugars in the mail from Beach House Teas and I knew I had the answer to liven this tea up.
Lemon Peel Infused Artisan Sugars is a combination of organic pure sugar cane mixed with organic lemon peel granules. The smell, well think lemon shake up from your county fair. This sugar is handcrafted and I might add- handcrafted with love. The presentation of this sugar is gorgeous too!
Sprinkled into my tea- this sugar completed the white peach tea I was drinking beautifully- adding in a smooth but sweet crisp citrus undertone that gave this tea exactly what it needed. Not too I also tried my hand at a lemon shake up with using just water, ice, and a spoonful of sugar- I was in heaven!
For someone who drinks tea as plain as possible, I can’t imagine not having this sugar around to add in here or there. I’m excited to pick up some more and bring to a tea party baby shower I”m throwing in a few weeks. I know my aunts will love adding this sweet treat into their teas and coffee!
Here’s the scoop!
Where to Buy: Beach House Teas
Description
Flavor-infused sugars make amazing gifts, great for when friends stop by unexpectedly for tea, when you just want to curl up under a blanket and cozy up with a cup of something warm, wow your guests with savory sweetness on the rim of cocktail glass or want to add some amazing flavors to your cooking and baking. These sugars make a dramatic statement on a drink or cocktail. Not only are they beautiful, they taste amazing!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
White Cap Chai from Beach House Teas. . . .
When I see those lovely spiced teas, I always get so jealous. Being one that just doesn’t care for overly spiced teas or chai blends, I always feel like I’m left out of some cool kid’s tea drinking club. I look at them longingly and try them on occasion, but always find myself having to add in a ton of agave or cream to help offset the brew. And yes, I know that is part of the chai tea latte set up, but I want to be able to taste the actual tea itself, not just the add ins.
Enter White Cap Chai from Beach House Teas.
First off, this chai tea doesn’t have your traditional tea base. Instead of having a black or even green tea base, this blend has a lovely white peony tea base that sets the tone in a more subtle way. No fear of having a very bitter or astringent brew where you have to add in sweeteners or cream- no, this tea base has an all around lighter feel.
Add in your traditional spices like fennel seed cloves, peppercorns, cardamom pods, star anise, ginger, orange peel and my favorite part- cinnamon chips- not just a dusting of cinnamon but honest to goodness large enough so you can see cinnamon chips. I should say that about all of the ingredients. No need to squint your eyes to see that these inclusions are high quality and might I add organic.
The brewing parameters on the package had me a bit scared-1 heaping tsp with 6-8 oz- allow to steep for 6-8 minutes at 212F. White tea is more delicate so I was worried about brewing at boiling but after timer went off at 6 minutes worth of steeping, I was so very happy I did. I should have know that Beach House Teas would have my back and not steer me wrong.
Right out of the gate there is this lush slightly floral silky feel and some very bright flavors that provide this wonderful first sip. I instantly fell in love with the cinnamon flavor that has a soft twist of ginger and a hint of the fennel undertones. As this is still a chai tea, those more noticeable chai flavors like cardamom and clove notes are present but they are more apparent towards the end of each sip. Towards the end of each sip and after the sip is over, you are left with this spicy peppercorn touch on your tastebuds.
I eagerly sipped down my first cup and went back to brew more. I’m a huge fan (if you couldn’t tell) of this tea and highly recommend anyone who isn’t a chai or spiced fan to check this tea out. The flavors are light and crisp and are not heavy like a traditional chai or should I say the chais I’ve experienced in the past. Heavier chais do have their time and place, but for me- White Cap Chai has stolen my heart. This may be my new morning tea!
If you are interested in checking out this (and I highly recommend you do!) blend or any others, Beach House Teas is offering a 20% discount for our readers- just enter tealover3 at checkout!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Beach House Teas
Description
White Cap Chai is a lighter version of the traditional chai making it delicate and unique. This beautiful chai is made with 100% organic white peony tea leaves and organic spices. It’s a modern twist on a sweet and spicy classic. The chai gives you a smooth, mellow taste with subtle layers of flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!